Three women challenge Ireland’s ban on abortion at European court

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Three women living in the Irish Republic challenged the country’s strict abortion law at the European Court of Human Rights yesterday, claiming that their rights had been violated.

The three — two Irish nationals and a Lithuanian — all left their homes in Ireland to have abortions in Britain. Identified only by the letters A, B and C because of the risk of imprisonment in Ireland, they are supported in their case by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and the Irish Family Planning Association. Ireland’s abortion law dates from 1861, and bans the procedure except where there is a risk